Colossians 1.18-23 (Epistle)

18I on je glava tijelu crkve, koji je poèetak i prvoroðeni iz mrtvijeh, da bude on u svemu prvi; 19Jer bi volja oèina da se u nj useli sva punina, 20I kroza nj da primiri sve sa sobom, umirivši krvlju krsta njegova, kroza nj sve, bilo na zemlji ili na nebu. 21I vas koji ste nekad bili odluèeni i neprijatelji kroz pomisli u zlijem djelima, 22A sad vas primiri u tijelu mesa njegova smræu njegovom, da vas svete i bez mane i bez krivice izvede preda se; 23Ako samo ostanete u vjeri utemeljeni i tvrdi, i nepokretni od nada jevanðelja, koje èuste, koje je propovijedano svoj tvari pod nebom, kojemu ja Pavle postadoh sluga.

Luke 11.9-13 (Gospel)

9I ja vama kažem: ištite i daæe vam se: tražite i naæi æete; kucajte i otvoriæe vam se. 10Jer svaki koji ište, prima; i koji traži, nalazi; i koji kuca, otvora mu se. 11Koji je meðu vama otac u koga ako sin zaište hljeba da mu da kamen? Ili ako zaište ribe da mu da mjesto ribe zmiju? 12Ili ako zaište jaje da mu da skorpiju? 13Kad dakle vi, zli buduæi, umijete dobre dare davati djeci svojoj, koliko æe više otac nebeski dati Duha svetoga onima koji ištu u njega?

Holy Virgin Martyr Anastasia of Rome (256)

She lived in Rome during the reigns of the Emperors Decius and Valerian. At an early age she left all to embrace a life of unceasing prayer, entering a small monastery in Rome, directed by a nun named Sophia. For her Christian faith, she was seized and brought before the governor Probus and, when she boldly confessed Christ and refused to honor the idols, was subjected to a series of vicious tortures, under which she died. An angel led Sophia to retrieve her holy relics, which are now venerated at the monastery of Grigoriou on Mt Athos.

We are sometimes told that monasticism developed in the Church after Christianity became accepted and grew more worldly. The story of St Anastasia is one of many evidences in the lives of the Saints that what we now call monasticism was present from the earliest days of the Church.

Our Holy Father Abramius (366) and his niece Mary (371) of Mesopotamia

Abramius was a Christian of noble birth who, early in life, left all (including a young bride) to live as a solitary monk. This he did for fifty years. When Abramius’ brother died, leaving his seven-year-old daughter Mary orphaned and alone, The Saint took her under his care, giving her a monastic cell near his own. Though Mary devoted herself joyfully to the monastic life, when she was about twenty she fell into sin with a corrupt monk who visited the hermitage. Far worse, she then fell into despair, thinking that she had cast away her salvation, and fled the hermitage to become a harlot in a nearby town. Abramius, unaware of what had happened or where she had gone, prayed constantly for her safety and to be shown where she had fled.

One day a traveler told Abramius what had become of his niece. Immediately he rose up, dressed himself as a soldier and went to the brothel where Mary worked, “for the salvation of a soul meant more to him than hermitage, Habit, ascesis or prayer itself” (Synaxarion). Still disguised, he ordered a meal, his first wine and meat for fifty years, then went with Mary to her room. Only then did he reveal himself, and with tears, not accusing her at all, pleaded with her to leave that place and return with him. “Let us go, my child; let us return to our hermitage. Let your fault be mine. I will answer for it before Christ on the day of judgment.” She returned with him and, with repentance, prayed so ardently that she was soon granted not only assurance of forgiveness but the power to work miracles. St Abramius reposed in peace in great old age; Mary followed him into eternal joy five years later.